Requesting for overtime, a chance to reduce overtime in the company?

The feature The Overtime Request allows to control the process of overtime input to the Timesheet. Before commencing works’ tasks within overtime hours, given employee must submit the request for doing so, stating the reasons behind it. Later on, whenever there are differences between hours’ summary of The Overtime Request and of hours entered into the Timesheet – those cases will be accordingly indicated within the Timesheet (exclamation mark).

Benefits of new feature:

Requesting for overtime work allows controlling the process, especially:

• checking if each planned overtime work hours were preceded by the Request,
• ensuring whether the Request has been accepted by given supervisor,
• allowing managers to monitor the overtime work demand, on regular basis,
• enforcing the need of employees’ statements regarding the reasons behind the Request.

The manager is informed via e-mail about sent request. Then, he/she shall: accept/reject the Request. Additionally, one can correct the foreseen amount of time within the Request.

The amount of time truly taken up by the task (and typed in by the employee into the Timesheet) is compared to requests sent and accepted – any deviation are signalized within the Timesheet.

An example of the Request for overtime work:

Our experience:

Good practise 1: Require beforehand planning of overtime work’s demand from employees.
Sooner the employee sends out the request means more time for manager to analyze and accept it. But never forget: according to Polish Employment Codex, overtime work cannot be planned in advance.

Good practice 2: Check the reasoning of the request.
The stated reasons helps the manager to assess how much time should be needed for completing the task. Moreover, it allows to determine if the request would be just a onetime case or repeated in nearest future (once a week/month/…)
Whether, in ones opinion, there is no need for overtime work regarding given project – question or dismiss such requests.
Do sift through received requests and analyze their influence on work’s time needed to complete the tasks.

Good practice 3: Monitor, if after any periods of overwhelmed work demand, there is a possibility to level out overtime, through work-free hours/days.
Better understanding of the Requests grounds allows better planning of overtime compensation and limit the costs.
Good practice 4: Before the end of given settlement period, if declared hours, as to be taken as work-free time, were in fact received or compensated.